Hollywood film producers, Carlota Espinosa and Keri Selig, talk to SHIFTER about working with Tyler Perry to bring their labor of love, The Six Triple Eight. to the big screen. “When I first read the soon to be published article about the Six Triple Eight, it was unfathomable to me that such a remarkable story, filled with courage and resilience, had remained in the shadows.” -Carlota Espinosa After Barbie and Oppenheimer went head-to-head in 2024, this year marked another highly competitive awards season with Anora, Conclave, The Substance, The Brutalist, and Emilia Pérez competing in many categories. But one of…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne, also known as "KB The Boss" or simply "KB", is a Toronto-based host/on-air personality, arts & entertainment journalist, TV/film producer, and communications and content strategist. As a commentator and freelancer, he has appeared nationally as a correspondent on CBC News Network and host on CBC Music. He has also appeared locally on CTV, CBC Radio, CityNews, Newstalk 1010, and ByBlacks.com, and in the United States on Fox’s Black digital TV network, Fox Soul. He has covered some of Canada’s top red-carpet events, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Canadian Screen Awards, and has interviewed everyone from Kevin Hart and "Fast and the Furious" star Tyrese Gibson to Ziggy Marley, Ava DuVernay, Dascha Polanco, Lilly Singh, and Howie Mandel. His years of work as an entertainment journalist led to him being named a Golden Globe® Awards voter and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-Approved critic and being quoted as a critic in national ad campaigns for Black films and TV shows, both in Canada and the United States. Pivoting into the world of film and television, Kevin co-founded the film, TV, digital content, and live experiences company, SHIFTER Entertainment, alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah. Through SHIFTER he has produced a number of projects, including the Bell Fibe TV1 unscripted reality series A Date In The Life, serving as showrunner, executive producer, writer and co-director. Now, with a number of pilot and feature film scripts written and projects in development, KB is poised to continue to be a champion for Black entertainment and culture alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah.
Daniel Ezra and Da’Vinchi make their return as the guys spend a boys night out.. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 9 recap. This is the moment All American fans have been waiting for—the return of Daniel Ezra, both an actor and director. Daniel Ezra didn’t return alone. He brought Da’Vinchi (Darnell) with him. This episode features a lot of Spelivia mentions and throwbacks. But Spencer isn’t the only one taking a trip down memory lane as Coop spends the episode looking back at her past mistakes, including the night Amina’s mother, Mo died. We also see some tension…
Homecoming is in the air, Amina wants answers, and Cassius wants the smoke. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 8 recap. We’re eight episodes into Season 7, so there’s no better time to assess how the season has been going so far. I have to say that since the Season 7 premiere, the new generation of All American has grown on me. A lot. I had my doubts if I’m being honest, but I’m happy to say I was wrong. This show is good; really good. The writers are doing a pretty good job. Next episode marks the return…
Coop and Patience have some decisions to make after being approved for their dream apartment and Amina celebrates a big win.. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 7 recap. The OG All American vibes continue as Coop and Patience are approved for their dream apartment. Meanwhile, the new storylines continue to mirror the OG storylines. The challenge for the producers and writers will be how to make the show feel familiar without making it predictable for viewers. So far, they’ve done a good job of making the story compelling (and messy) enough to make some viewers watch week after…
SHIFTER editor, Kevin Bourne, calls Ron Dias and Joanne Jansen’s latest “a groundbreaking moment in Toronto and Canadian cinema” in his Morningside film review. Toronto has long been a major player in the international film industry as the home of the Toronto International Film Festival and as a location where major films studios choose to shoot big budget feature films, often doubling as New York City. Still, two things which have alluded Toronto are feature films made by Toronto filmmakers which have garnered attention outside of the city, and films set in Toronto. Fortunately, this is changing with films like…
In this one-on-one interview, SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne talks to rising actor, Alexis Chikaeze, about her Nigerian roots, how she got into acting, and her breakout role as Amina on CW’s All American, and more. This interview has been edited for clarity. Kevin Bourne: Now you’re from Texas—Dallas, Texas. Nigerian background. What did that instill in you, growing up in a Nigerian home? Alexis Chikaeze: I think it was simply the push to work hard; the push to follow your dreams, follow your passions; the push to never give up in the face of adversity, and to simply cherish this life…
Two OG cast member return and Jordan’s investigation hits a bump in the road. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 6 recap. This episode is a bit nostalgic with the return of two OG cast members. You probably know who they are by now, but in case you haven’t heard, we won’t ruin it for you just yet. We also see the storylines from the OG series repeating themselves in this episode. Now, let’s take a closer look at what went down on All American Season 7 Episode 6. Jordan’s investigation Jordayla has returned from Napa after looking into…
In his Peterson album review, Kevin Bourne says Tory Lanez’s latest project is among his best and most personal, albums yet. When Tory Lanez was sentenced to 10 years in prison, we were forced to think about what a decade without his music would be like. He was in the middle of enjoying his newfound independence as an artist. He was exploring new ways selling music. With Lanez behind bars, it was a big “What if?” If he hadn’t gone to prison, what heights would he have reached in the industry? What boundaries and new ground would he have broken…
Love triangles abound and Amina runs for student council president. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 5 recap. This episode centers around Amina as she runs for student council and organizes a meal packing drive, all while dreading the anniversary of her mother’s birthday. With Jordan and Layla in Napa as a part of their investigation into his long lost uncle, this episode was almost all teen drama, and it was well done. We also see Amina and Toru meet for the first time as the love triangle drama is taken to new heights. Now, let’s take a closer…
KJ and Khalil come into their own, exercising their independence from their fathers, while Layla learns to forgive and forget. Here’s our All American Season 7 Episode 4 recap. This episode sees KJ and Khalil coming into their own, making their own decisions, and exercising their independence from their fathers. We also see KJ and Khalil, Jordan and Spencer 2.0, becoming key members of their respective teams. Now, let’s take a closer look at what went down on All American Season 7 Episode 4. KJ and Cassius clash The episode opens with KJ watching old game film of Jordan playing…
The Union Station art exhibition “A Transit Through Time” puts the work of seven talented Black Toronto artists on full display. In time for Black History Month, Union Arts has returned with two brand new art shows located at the Oak Room and West Wing at Union Station, the busiest transportation hub in Canada with 300,000 visitors daily. This is the third exhibition of its kind, which offers unparalleled exposure for the artists involved. The exhibition launched on February 12th with Nothing More Nothing Less, a solo exhibition by guest artist Jordan Sook. Then in the West Wing we find A Transit Through Time,…
Live Nation and Drake are set to open the 2000-person HISTORY Ottawa nightclub in 2026, filling a need in Ottawa’s nightlife scene. Long seen as a sleepy government town and the city that fun forgot, Ottawa just got a little jolt courtesy of the 6 God and Live Nation. Today, the multinational entertainment powerhouse announced that they will be opening the Drake-backed 2000-person capacity HISTORY Ottawa nightclub in the city’s Byward Market. It marks the first expansion for the History after the opening of History Toronto in 2021. Live Nation first announced they would be taking over the former Chapters…
